As Long as I've Got You By My Side
by Greenie.Witch
Summary: Albus begins his first year at Hogwarts and meets Scorpius in the train. Albus/Scorpius, Albus x Scorpius...Albius? Scorbus?
1. September the First

It was a crisp September morning; the most exciting First of September that many 11-year-olds had ever experienced. The train had started moving, but Albus Severus Potter still hadn't found a compartment to sit in. After being promptly refused when he asked to sit with his brother James and his friends, and being unable to find his cousin Rose, Albus was becoming desperate. As he walked past one compartment after another, all filled with chattering students, he started to panic. Finally, he came to a compartment that seemed to be empty and stepped in. A boy with white-blonde hair who looked about Albus' age was sitting in a corner of the compartment, reading The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1. He looked up at Albus, who noticed his penetrating grey eyes immediately. "You don't want to sit here", the boy said with a sigh. Confused, Albus said,

"Why wouldn't I-?"

"-At least you won't after I tell you my name, and you're going to ask what it is, aren't you?", the boy interrupted him.

"Oh, come on, it can't be worse than mine", said Albus, cracking a smile. "I'm Albus Severus Potter, but you can call me Al". He stuck out his hand to the other boy, who took it gingerly and shook it and gave another sigh.

"I'm Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy", he said, wrinkling his nose in a fashion Albus couldn't help but find adorable.

"I'm still confused", he said. "Why wouldn't I want to sit with you just because of your name?"

"Because I'm a Malfoy, of course", said Scorpius. "I've already been shunned by every person I've met so far, and it's barely been ten minutes". His voice cracked at the last few words in a way that broke Albus's heart. He couldn't see how anyone would be rude to this poor, sweet boy. He seemed like a lovely person, despite what poor choices his family members might've made in the past.

"So what if you're a Malfoy?", Albus said indignantly, plopping down next to Scorpius. "I'm not leaving!"

"Un-unless you want me to of course...", he said, looking shyly at the other boy.

"No, please stay!", cried Scorpius, louder than he'd meant to. Albus chuckled, and Scorpius gave him a small smile in return. They began to talk about what life would be like at Hogwarts, about Quidditch, and which houses they might be sorted into. Finally, Albus threw his arms around Scorpius and cried, "Oh, I hope we're in the same house!".

Thus began an unbreakable friendship.

SSS

Once the train arrived at Hogwarts, Albus and Scorpius boarded the same boat, and got their first good look at the castle. "It's beautiful", marvelled Scorpius, leaning over the edge of the boat to get a better look. He lost his balance and almost fell in the lake, but Albus caught him around the middle and pulled him back into the boat, both of them laughing.

Inside the castle, in the Great Hall stood all the first years. Shivering and shaking, whether from cold or nerves it was unclear, Scorpius Malfoy stayed in the back of the group with Albus, who noticed his friend was looking rather pale and shaky. Reaching for Scorpius' hand, he whispered in his ear, "It's gonna be alright". The blond-haired boy gripped Albus' hand as if for dear life, and the other boy squeezed back.

=(-)=

"SLYTHERIN", cried the Sorting Hat. Scorpius sat down, but his face expression was still one of terror. Albus locked eyes with his friend, and they exchanged a look of fearful anticipation.

=(-)=

What have we here? The Sorting Hat spoke in Albus' mind. Brave, but not reckless like some of your family members. Gryffindor is not the place for you. Ravenclaw, maybe...or Hufflepuff...you've got a kindness about you, but you aren't one to be crossed...I see cunning and ambition, a thirst to prove yourself, much like your father has. Yes, I know exactly where to put you. In "SLYTHERIN!"

Albus sat down next to Scorpius at the Slytherin table. The whole world seemed to come back into focus when he looked into his friend's face, shining with happiness. And so began the feast.

SSS

"Bloody hell, James, your freak brother's a Slytherin!", yelled Sammy Jordan. "And he's friends with that slimy Malfoy boy!"

"Oh, shut it, it's only their first day!", sighed James, sounding exasperated at his friend's rudeness.

He pulled his brother to the side and said quietly, "Don't mind him, he hates all of Slytherin house, especially the Malfoys. This friend of yours, Scorpius is it?" Albus nodded. "Yeah, his grandfather, Lucius? He hurt some of Sammy's family members pretty badly", James continued. "Scorpius doesn't seem like that bad a person himself. Just remember: don't listen to anyone who is rude to you...or Scorpius, I suppose. Hold your head high and remember who your real friends are." Patting Albus on the shoulder, he said, "Run along now, young serpent", and ran off laughing. Feeling rather taken aback, Albus sat back down to his pudding, edging closer to Scorpius.

They made it through the feast with only a few less-than-friendly comments from their classmates.

SSS

"Al?", said a small voice. Sitting up in bed, Albus looked through his drapes at his best friend's pale face that seemed to glow in the greenish moonlight that came from the window just below the surface of the Black Lake. "I couldn't sleep", said Scorpius. "Come on in, then!", said Albus, motioning towards his bed. Tentatively, the other boy climbed in, trying to give his friend as much space as possible. Groaning with frustration, Albus rolled over and put his arms around Scorpius. "I don't bite, you know", he said. "Yeah, I suppose not", said Scorpius. He put his arms around Albus' neck and pressed their foreheads together, finally feeling at ease. Drifting off to sleep, he figured that he could handle anything that was to come this year. As long as Albus was by his side.


	2. A Semblance of Sorts

Later that week, Albus introduced Scorpius to his cousin, Rose. She'd been sorted into Ravenclaw, but she still managed to walk across the Great Hall to greet her cousin each morning. She seemed to like Scorpius well enough, choosing to sit between him and Albus and calling them both her "slimy green geniuses" when they helped her plot some crazy scheme. It was all in good nature, for Rose had never held anything against Slytherins and pure-bloods- not even Malfoys, as Scorpius soon found out. Despite her father's warnings about him, she thought that Scorpius was a perfectly decent person.

Scorpius couldn't help but notice how similar she was to her cousin Albus, although she didn't have the same sparkling green eyes or charming smile...

SSS

As the school year went on, Albus and Scorpius became inseparable. Rose joked that the two of them were joined at the hip, saying that she could never hope to see one of them without the other. Albus promptly stated that he wouldn't have it any other way, throwing his arm around Scorpius as if to prove his point. Even after Rose went back to the Ravenclaw (having had enough time with her "slimy green geniuses" for that morning), his arm remained tightly wrapped around his friend.

"Al...? What're you doing?", Scorpius asked.

Embarrassed, Albus removed his arm hastily and began stuttering an apology. Scorpius laughed and leaned back into his friend's arms.

"I never said I didn't like it".

=(-)=

From the Ravenclaw table, Rose watched Albus and Scorpius with a knowing smile on her face. She knew what would happen eventually, even if the boys in question hadn't quite caught on.

SSS

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose all went to their respective homes over the winter holidays. On Boxing Day, Scorpius made a point of asking his father if Albus could come over.

=(-)=

It had been a long time since Draco Malfoy had so much as a small disagreement with Harry Potter. The two of them had remained on surprisingly good terms since the Battle of Hogwarts. Draco saw no reason not to allow Harry's son to spend a few days with Scorpius, and sent the Potters an owl almost immediately after the request has left his son's mouth.

SSS

Albus' time with the Malfoys was extremely enjoyable. Astoria simply loved him from the moment he stumbled through the fireplace, greeting them with a profuse apology regarding the ash on the carpet. She'd given his shoulder a squeeze and told him not to worry about it. This boy would make a fine match for her son, she thought.

"Scorpius!", Albus shouted as soon as she saw his friend from behind Mrs. Malfoy.

He threw his arms around Scorpius and hugged him tightly.

Oh, yes, thought Astoria. A fine match indeed.

The boys spent the rest of the afternoon outside in the snow, only coming back inside the house when offered warm blankets and mugs of hot cocoa. They curled up on the couch, watching an old muggle movie and talking quietly about the new spells they might learn once they returned to Hogwarts. There they stayed for the remainder of the night, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms.

SSS

When it finally came time to go back to Hogwarts, Albus and Scorpius were bouncing in their seats on the train. Around halfway through the ride, Rose dropped by their compartment, bringing with her an abundance of sweets and a couple of books. The second time she came around their compartment, it was remind them to put on their robes. Scorpius had fallen asleep, his head on Albus's lap. Albus was looking fondly down at him, running his long fingers through the youngest Malfoy's soft hair.

Smiling to herself as she silently left the compartment, Rose noticed that they were both wearing their school robes.

SSS

That year, the first Quidditch match was Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. Albus and Rose cheered for their family members in Gryffindor, James in particular. The oldest Potter boy had recently become Seeker for Gryffindor, and his family was very proud of him.

=(-)=

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose had sat at opposite ends of their respective designated Quidditch stands. This way, they would all be next to each other, since the Slytherin stands were right beside the Ravenclaw ones. Scorpius looked on fondly as Albus and Rose jumped up and down, cheering loudly. He slung one arm around Albus's shoulders, thinking how his and Rose's faces looked so similar in times like these, all bright and flushed and freckled.

Rose's voice had gone hoarse from screaming so much, but Albus was still cheering, and Scorpius was still watching him with that same fond expression on his face. Chuckling to herself, Rose raised her Gryffindor banner, calling her cousin and his friend to help her hold it up.

"Oi, you slimy green idiots!", she cried (they couldn't always be geniuses, she supposed). "Help me wave this banner!"

Albus and Scorpius each grabbed a part of the banner and began waving it eagerly. Scorpius had finally joined in on the loud cheering.

SSS

"We won, we won!"

"No you didn't, stupid."

"Gryffindor won. We are in Slytherin."

"Oh. Yeah."

"..."

"James won, he caught the Snitch!"

"Too right he did, that was amazing".

Scorpius sighed. He supposed Quidditch would always be a Potter-Weasley thing.


	3. The Best Season for Birthdays

The remainder of the school year passed in a blur. Albus could hardly comprehend how quickly time seemed to go by when the spring holidays came to pass. He and Scorpius stayed at Hogwarts, reveling in the warm weather and their lack of schoolwork. Most days, the two boys could be found under a large beech tree by the Black Lake, occasionally visited by Rose. The three of them would partake in multiple chess tournaments, most of which ended abruptly when Albus flipped the board over and tackled Scorpius to the ground. There they would stay, eyes shining with mirth, until Rose brought them back to reality, saying that she'd won by default since they both forfeited the competition.

Of course, she thought, I'd have been able to beat them both, distracted or otherwise.

=(-)=

Unfortunately, there was still homework to be done, no matter how much time they had to do it. When they weren't outside, Albus and Scorpius stayed in the Slytherin common room beneath piles of parchment and books.

"Why should it matter that there were seventeen goblin rebellions before the eighteenth century?", Albus whined.

History of Magic was his least favorite subject by far; he couldn't care less what had gone on in the Wizarding World prior to the 20th century.

"History shapes the present and the future, Albie. It's important to understand what happened in the past to predict what might happen next", Scorpius reprimanded his friend.

"Can't we just use Divination for that?"

"Not until Third Year".

Albus gave a deep sigh. He leaned back so that his head was in Scorpius's lap, lifting his textbook above his face and continuing to read about goblin rebellions.

Smiling slightly, Scorpius ruffled his friend's hair and went back to writing his essay.

SSS

One sunny Saturday morning in May, Scorpius was woken up by somebody jumping into his bed, right on top of him.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCOR!", Albus shouted.

Instinctively, Scorpius wrapped his arms around the other boy, burying his face in Albus's shoulder.

"Wouldn't it have been a better present to just let me sleep in for once?", he grumbled, but without any real venom behind his words.

Albus chuckled.

"Speaking of presents..."

He rolled off Scorpius and reached over to his nightstand, pulling out a small parcel from its drawer handed it to his friend, who eagerly sat up to open it. Inside was a beautiful silver compass attached to a thick leather cord. Scorpius looked up at Albus with wide eyes, a grin spreading across his face.

"D'you like it?", Albus asked nervously. "It's meant to point in whatever direction I am from you, so you can always find me...you know, if you want to. Rose helped me enchant it".

"Are you serious? I love it!".

Scorpius enveloped his friend in a tight hug. The force of the impact caused both boys to fall off the bed, landing in a heap of blankets and laughter.

=(-)=

Now that Scorpius had the compass from Albus, he just had to test it out. Naturally, the best way to do so was with a game of Hide-and-Seek on the castle grounds. Scorpius stood under their tree with his eyes closed for two minutes while Albus found a place to hide. Then, with the help of the compass, Scorpius was able to find him easily.

"Found you!" Scorpius tackled his friend to the ground and pinned him there, eyes sparkling.

Albus looked up at him with a relaxed smile on his face.

"I guess the compass really does work, doesn't it?"

That, however, was not the end of Scorpius's birthday surprises. Lunchtime would certainly not be a quiet affair.

=(-)=

Albus checked his watch for what seemed to be at least the fifteenth time in as many minutes. He gasped, saying, "it's time!", and ran off to find Scorpius. Said boy was in the Slytherin common room, studying for their Transfiguration exam. Albus grabbed Scorpius's hand and dragged him off to the kitchens without a word. When they reached the secret entrance in the form of a painting, Albus tickled the pear, which turned into a green handle.

"Surprise!", he cried, throwing open the door.

In the kitchen, the house elves had set up a table and with Scorpius's favorite sandwiches and a bench to sit on. One elf was carrying a cupcake with a green and silver candle in it.

"Happy Birthday, Master Malfoy!", it squeaked.

"Hello, Winky", Scorpius replied kindly.

He whispered to Albus, "you planned this all for me?"

"Well, yeah", Albus replied. "I paid them all, don't worry. Although I must say, that was a job in itself. They just didn't want to take the money".

The two boys had just began eating their lunch when Rose burst in, bringing with her a large and rectangular package.

"Happy Birthday, Scorpius!", she exclaimed, throwing herself on the bench next to Scorpius. "Sorry I'm late, Albus, I lost track of the time because I was studying and I nearly forgot to come at all, but then I saw Scorpius's present on my nightstand and remembered-". She took a deep breath. It looked like she was about to continue talking when Albus interrupted her, reassuring his cousin that he didn't mind her being late.

"I'm just glad you showed up at all", he laughed.

Scorpius, who'd been eyeing Rose's package, reached over to see what was inside. She had gotten him a book on Transfiguration, his favorite school subject.

"Thank you guys so much", he said, giving them both a hug. When he let go of Albus, he laced their fingers together and laid his head on the other boy's shoulder.

Rose looked at her "slimy green idiots" with a fond and knowing smile. She wondered,

When will they realize how much they love each other?

=(-)=

That night, Scorpius climbed into Albus's bed and lay next to him so that he was facing the other boy. He ran one hand through Albus's dark and notoriously messy hair. Albus wrapped his arms around Scorpius, who sighed contentedly.

"Thank you", he said, "for the best birthday ever".

Albus nuzzled his friend's neck affectionately and tightened his arms around him. Before he fell asleep, Scorpius was sure he heard Albus whisper something back.

"Anything for you".

He decided that spring was a great time to have a birthday, and an even better time to share it with your best friend.


	4. Certain Things Don't Cease

Albus Severus Potter never believed in the saying 'all good things must come to an end'.

At least, not when it came to friendships. His friendship with Scorpius, in particular.

"We have got to see each other over the summer, I'll ask my parents to owl yours as soon as we get home".

Albus was laying spread-eagled on Scorpius's bed, with Scorpius draped over his midsection. The latter boy was immersed in the Transfiguration book Rose had gotten him for his birthday, and appeared not to have heard a word Albus said.

"Scorpius! Are you even listening to me?"

Albus put on his best sad-puppy face and started repeatedly poking his friend's cheek.

"Did you say something, Al?", Scorpius asked, finally looking over at the other boy.

Seeing Albus's pouting face, he immediately dropped his book and repositioned himself so that he was face-to-face with his friend, still lying on top of him.

"What happened? Did I upset you? Am I being a horrible friend? Please don't be mad at me! I swear I didn't mean to upset-"

The words spilled out of Scorpius's mouth increasingly quickly, until Albus clapped a hand over his mouth, giggling.

"I was just saying how we should get together over the summer holidays", said Albus, finally removing his hand from Scorpius's mouth. "I bet my mum and dad would let you come to our house for a few days!"

"Oh", said Scorpius, relieved that there was nothing wrong.

His face brightened happily before he replied, "That would be great! I've never been to your house before... And you can come to my house again after that!"

Albus grinned.

"I knew you'd like that idea".

SSS

In the last few weeks of term, Albus, Scorpius, and Rose underwent their final exams along with all of the other first years. They all had predictably different mentalities in the aftermath of their last test (Defense Against the Dark Arts).

"Albus, your dad's the Head of the Auror Office!", cried Scorpius. "You must've scraped at least an A on this one!"

"I wouldn't count on it", Albus replied gloomily. "I'm pants at Defense Against the Dark Arts".

"You're better than me, at least"

"I'm really n-"

At that moment, Rose came running up behind the two boys, shouting, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THE EXAMS ARE ALREADY OVER!"

"It's only us you're talking to, Rose, you don't need the whole school to hear you", said Albus with a chuckle.

Lowering her voice, she continued, "Well, obviously I'd done practice exams with Mum before, but they were nothing compared to the real thing! I think I scraped at least an E in every subject, except maybe History of Magic... I really don't think I did myself justice on the bit about the goblin rebellion in the sixteenth century-"

"I'm sure you did fine", said Scorpius.

"On the bright side, at least we don't have any more work for the last few days of term!", Albus exclaimed.

"Speak for yourself, I'm getting started on our summer homework", said Rose, and with that, she dropped down underneath the beech tree by the Black Lake, pulled out some parchment and a textbook, and began to read.

Shaking his head disbelievingly, Albus turned to Scorpius.

"Hey, Scorpius?"

"Yes, Albie?"

"Do you want to go swimming in the lake?"

Scorpius blanched, his eyes widening fearfully.

"And get myself killed by the Giant Squid? No thanks", he said.

"Oh, come on, I heard the Giant Squid is actually friendly!", said Albus excitedly.

He grabbed Scorpius's hand and dragged him off, towards the castle.

"We'll need proper swimming attire first, of course".

"Right, yeah...", said Scorpius.

=(-)=

Once they were clothed properly for swimming, Albus and Scorpius made their way back to the edge of the lake, near the spot where Rose continued to read.

"Oh, I hope it's not to cold", said Scorpius hesitantly.

"I'm sure it'll fine", Albus assured his friend. "Now, come on!".

He took Scorpius's hands in his and pulled him towards the lake.

Scorpius felt intimidated and vulnerable. He wasn't really much of a swimmer, but he would do it if Albus did it with him...

"Together?", he asked.

Albus smiled encouragingly.

"Together".

They jumped in the lake, Albus laughing, and Scorpius shivering.

After around five minutes, Scorpius was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. He was very cold, and he really didn't want to go any deeper in the lake for fear that he wouldn't be able to swim properly. Noticing his friend's visible discomfort, Albus made his way over to Scorpius, looking worried.

"Scorpie, are you okay?", he asked, putting a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "You're looking rather pale".

"Oh, er, I'm fine", said Scorpius, not meeting his eyes.

"Come on, Scorpius, you can tell me", Albus pressed on, a look of genuine concern on his face.

At the intense expression on Albus's face, Scorpius started talking, almost involuntarily.

"I'm not a fan of water. It's so cold, and swimming' never been my thing. I don't even know if I can do it properly anymore, and that squid scares me a lot, however friendly it may be!"

He finished in an almost despairing tone of voice, "And I just didn't want you to think I was being boring, or mean, or a bad friend. Please don't hate me, or stop being my friend!"

After Scorpius finished talking, Albus threw his arms around him.

"Oh, Scorpius, I didn't mean to make you feel like this!", he cried. "You should have just told me that you don't like water. And I will never, ever stop being your friend, no matter what!".

Holding Scorpius ever tighter to him, Albus whispered, "Let's go inside and dry off. Then we can come back out here and lay under the tree with Rose until it's time for dinner".

=(-)=

Twenty minutes later, Albus and Scorpius were back under the beech tree by the lake. Rose was still reading her textbook, apparently unaware of her surroundings. Albus spread a blanket out on the ground and promptly dropped down on top of it, pulling Scorpius with him.

"You know that I'd never stop being your friend", he whispered. "but I just want to say: please don't stop being my friend, Scorpie".

"You know that will never happen", said Scorpius earnestly. He wrapped his arms around Albus's neck and touched their foreheads together. Albus smiled, and kissed Scorpius lightly on the nose.

Looking into his friend's twinkling eyes, Albus knew that he never wanted this "good thing" to end.

Rose looked up from her book, watching her "slimy green idiots/geniuses" with an expression of utmost smugness. She, at least, knew that certain things never come to an end.


	5. Exchanging Offspring

The ride back to King's Cross station on the Hogwarts Express was more than enjoyable. Naturally, Albus and Scorpius sat in the same compartment, occasionally visited by Rose. All throughout the journey, the two boys talked about their plans for the summer. Scorpius was very excited to visit his best friend's house, although he was a little bit worried that Albus's family wouldn't be too fond of him.

"Are you sure your family won't...er...totallyhatemygutsbecauseI'maMalfoy?", Scorpius said the last part very fast, fear evident in his voice nonetheless.

"Oh, Scorpie, don't be ridiculous!", Albus laughed. "My parents haven't had any sort of conflict with yours in years! I'm sure they'll love you, just like I do"

Then, very seriously, he added, "Well, not quite as much as I do"

Scorpius beamed and hugged his friend.

"And as for James and Lily", Albus continued, "James's already met you, and I think he likes you well enough...and I'll bet Lily will be absolutely thrilled to have another person to interrogate about life at Hogwarts".

"Alright, point taken", giggled Scorpius. "I suppose my surname won't matter in your house any more than yours does in mine"

"Exactly", said Albus with a smile.

He leaned his head on Scorpius's shoulder, looking for the first time at the pile of Chocolate Frogs on his friend's lap.

His hand inched towards the one on top of the pile as he looked up beseechingly at Scorpius.

"Oh, just take it", Scorpius laughed.

=(-)=

When they reached King's Cross station, Albus ran to hug his parents and Lily, asking if Scorpius could visit them over the summer. Ginny smiled down at her son, assuring him that any friend of his would be welcome in the Potter household.

"Even a Malfoy?", said Uncle Ron from behind his sister.

"Ronald Weasley!", Aunt Hermione reprimanded her husband. "The Malfoys are perfectly decent people. Particularly their son, as I've heard from Rose. I'm sure Albus agrees with her on the whole".

She smiled at her nephew and winked, which gave the impression that she knew something that the others didn't.

Albus gave a hesitant smile in return before he turned around, hoping to find Scorpius so he could talk to him one more time before leaving for home.

His search did not take very long, for Scorpius and his family were standing only a few meters away from the Potter-Weasleys.

"I thought you might've left before I could say goodbye!", he said, attacking his friend with a massive hug.

"You know I'd never do that", laughed Scorpius. "And guess what? My mum and dad say it's okay for you to come and visit me over the summer holidays!"

"Did they say you could come to my house too?", asked Albus eagerly, pulling back so that he could look into Scorpius's face.

"As long as it's okay with your parents", replied Scorpius.

"It is, I just asked them ", said Albus. "We'll have to owl you to figure out a good time for you to come over".

"Yeah, I suppose we can leave the technicalities to them-"

"Albus, sweetheart, it's time to go home", Ginny called.

The "sweetheart" in question grimaced at his friend, who smirked and gave him one last fleeting hug.

"I'll see you later, Al", he said. "Make sure your parents contact mine".

"Bye, Scorpius", called Albus, already running over to his mother.

Scorpius smiled at his retreating back, already excited for what was to come.

SSS

That summer, Albus and Scorpius partook in The Great Potter-Malfoy Offspring Exchange, co-invented by their parents. It was the beginning of an inter-family tradition that would last for many years to come.

It wasn't a particularly difficult concept to grasp: Albus and Scorpius would spend one week at the Potters' house, and the next at the Malfoys'. This would go on for however many weeks Harry, Draco, Ginny, and Astoria would permit. Harry had joked that it was like a weekly exchange of children, and just like that, the event had a name.

As for Albus and Scorpius, they were ecstatic at the prospect of co-inhabiting for weeks on end. They shared a room at both houses, and, unnecessarily, a bed. Neither of them wanted to admit this to the other, but both boys quite enjoyed curling up together every night.

=(-)=

It had all started on Scorpius's first night at the Potters'. He was no stranger to nightmares, but this one had been particularly nasty. He'd woken up shaking and sweating, with an unwelcome wetness on his cheeks. From his mattress on the floor, he looked up at Albus's bed, where his friend was sleeping soundly. He didn't want to wake the other boy, but he knew that he had no other source of comfort. Tentatively, he got up from the mattress and lifted Albus's blanket so that he could snuggle up next to the other boy. He climbed in the bed, wanting to press himself against his friend but not wanting to wake him up. Before he could do anything, however, Albus woke up.

"Scorpie? Is that you?", he murmured, not opening his eyes.

"Yeah", Scorpius whispered.

Albus finally opened his eyes and looked over at Scorpius, a look of concern on his face.

"Did you have another nightmare?", he asked quietly.

Scorpius nodded and shifted closer to Albus, who in turn flung an arm over his waist and pulled him closer.

Burying his head in the space between Albus's neck and shoulder, Scorpius whispered almost inaudibly, "you're so comfortable".

Albus heard him, though, and responded by turning his head to press a light kiss to Scorpius's temple and tightening his grip around his friend.

The rest of that night passed in peace.

SSS

Later that week, Albus, Scorpius, James, and Lily went to the lake near the Potters' house. Albus, remembering Scorpius's less-than-fond feelings towards swimming, insisted that he and Scorpius stay out of the water.

"Suit yourselves", said James with a shrug, already walking down the jetty.

He then proceeded to pick up a giggling Lily and throw her in the lake. When she surfaced, she started shouting at James, but without any real venom behind her words. Then she climbed back up the jetty and ran at James, trying to push her brother into the water. He didn't put up much of a fight; he just wrapped his arms around her and jumped off the jetty, bringing Lily with him.

Albus and Scorpius watched from their blanket on the grass laughing at James and Lily's antics. Part of Scorpius wanted to join them, but he didn't really want to be in the water, no matter how much fun it looked. But if even he was having second thoughts, surely Albus would want to go be with his siblings...

"You don't have to stay here with me, you know", said Scorpius.

"But I want to", Albus said simply.

"You shouldn't be missing all the fun just because I don't like the water...", Scorpius trailed off when he saw the stern look on Albus's face.

"I wouldn't be having fun without you", he said firmly. "As long as I'm with you, I'll enjoy myself".

Scorpius smiled widely and leaned back against Albus, who ran a hand through his white-blond hair. And to think, they had another entire week to spend together after this one...he might even be ready to go in the water after a few days.

Albus grinned down at his friend, thinking of all the good times they would share this summer. Oh, yes, he was really going to enjoy this whole 'exchanging offspring' thing.


	6. A Second September

The summer was drawing to a close, and Albus Severus Potter couldn't have been happier. He had loved the lack of homework and abundance of free time that came with the summer holidays, but Hogwarts had become like a second home, and he couldn't imagine not going back. As the leaves began to change, Albus found himself becoming more firmly rooted in his belief that he himself needed a change of surroundings. A change in the company he kept would certainly be an improvement as well; it had been three weeks weeks since he'd last seen Scorpius, and that was three weeks too many as far as he was concerned. It wasn't that he didn't love his family, they just got a bit tiring after a while. There were so many of them that he could hardly keep track of who'd come round for dinner last Friday- which uncle had the red hair? Oh, wait. That was every single one of them. At least Albus wouldn't have to keep track of his many cousins back at school... It'll just be me and Scorpius, he thought. And that's he way we like it.

SSS

When it was finally time to go to King's Cross Station, Albus was more than ready to take his trunk and get into the car (enchanted to be larger on the inside than the outside). He sat between James and Lily, barely hearing their banter regarding the best Quidditch teams...something to do with broomsticks...or was it Bludgers? Albus wasn't paying attention. His thoughts were only of his best friend, with whom he would soon be reunited. He couldn't wait to see Scorpius again, and he desperately hoped that it wouldn't take to long to find him on the platform.

=(-)=

The journey to Platform 9 3/4 was short, but hectic. Albus had nearly overturned his trolley in his haste to get to Scorpius as soon as possible- he'd managed to keep the trolley upright; it was he who tumbled to the ground in its place. As he pulled himself back up into a sitting position, he heard a familiar-sounding giggle. Upon looking up, his grimace of pain turned into a joyful grin- Scorpius was standing above him, smiling.

"You okay down there, Albie?", he laughed, extending a hand to help his friend up.

"I am now!", Albus beamed, grabbing Scorpius' hand and allowing himself to be pulled into a standing position.

He then threw his arms around Scorpius, almost knocking them both to the ground again. Scorpius hugged back with equal force, laughing the whole time. When the two boys finally broke apart, Albus grabbed Scorpius' hand again.

Pulling his friend towards the Hogwarts Express, he said, "Come on, let's go find a place to sit".

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What do you mean, 'am I f- ' oh. Oh. My trolley!"

"Hopefully you can push it without falling over this time".

"Ha, ha, ha", Albus snarked back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

His words held no venom, however, and he expressed this by throwing an arm around Scorpius' shoulders as they walked back towards Albus' trolley.

=(-)=

The journey to Hogwarts was fairly uneventful for Albus and Scorpius. They played a few games of wizard's chess, the last of which ended with Albus flipping the board and tackling Scorpius to the floor. At that exact moment, Rose slid open the door to their compartment. She'd come to offer them some of the large pile of sweets in her arms, but they seemed rather busy at the moment. Albus had Scorpius pinned underneath him and both boys were laughing, lost in their own world and totally oblivious to Rose's presence. Unnoticed, she dropped half of her pile of sweets onto one of the seats and slipped back out of the compartment. I'll come back later, she thought. Once they've stopped tickling each other.

A couple of minutes after Rose's departure, Albus and Scorpius got up from the floor of their compartment and went to pick up the scattered chess pieces, some of which were grumbling about careless children. Finally looking up from the floor, Scorpius noticed a new addition to their surroundings.

"Where did those sweets come from?", he thought aloud.

"I dunno", Albus replied. "Maybe Rose stopped by and put them there when we weren't paying attention".

"Yeah, probably... I wonder why she didn't stay", said Scorpius.

He was beginning to get distracted by the sizable pile of sweets in front of him, and all thoughts of Rose slipped from his mind.

Albus seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he said, "I don't know about you, but I'm not going to pass up free sweets, no matter who they're from".

Eventually, Rose came back to Albus and Scorpius' compartment. She confirmed their suspicions that it had been she who'd given them the (now long gone) sweets. They couldn't seem to figure out why they hadn't noticed her come in the first time, and Rose certainly wasn't going to be the one to explain it to them.

They'll figure it out one day, she thought. I can't wait to see how many people realize that they're in love before that day comes.

SSS

It had become a well-known fact that the seemingly horseless carriages that transported students to and from the train station were pulled by magic. The carriages were actually pulled by Thestrals, skeletal horselike creatures that could only be seen by those who had seen death.

Scorpius feared that his first time riding in one of them would be the last time they appeared horseless to him. His mother had fallen ill, and the Healers at St. Mungo's hadn't yet been able to identify the malady, so they couldn't treat her for the time being. Naturally, he confessed this fear to Albus as they rode up towards the castle.

"Albus?", Scorpius said softly, leaning closer to his friend so that none of their carriage's other passengers could hear him.

"Yeah?", came the equally quiet reply.

"I don't think those Thestrals will be invisible the next time I see these carriages".

"What makes you say that?".

"My mother. She's fallen ill, but we don't know what's wrong with her", said Scorpius, his voice growing smaller with every word, so that Albus had to shift even closer to hear the last few words.

"Oh, Scorpie, don't worry! I'm sure she'll be just fine", he said.

In an attempt to comfort his friend, he wrapped his arms around Scorpius, who rested his head on Albus' shoulder.

There they sat until they reached the castle, keeping close even after they were forced to dislocate from their embrace.

=(-)=

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Albus", whispered Scorpius as they sat down at the Slytherin table.

Albus reached over and squeezed his hand, filling Scorpius with the warm feeling of someone who is loved and accepted. He knew that the future wasn't always bright, but Albus was like an ever-present light, shining just ahead of him and giving him the confidence to go on. With Albus, even the darkest future had a slight warm glow to it. For that, Scorpius would be eternally grateful.


	7. A Tumultuous Turn of Events

As the winter holidays came around, Albus and Scorpius were finding that their second year at Hogwarts was not much different from the first. Scorpius was going to spend all of the time off from school with his family, rather than going to visit Albus and his family for a few days like he had the previous year. He wanted to spend as much time with his mother as possible, for her health was slowly declining and the Healers at St. Mungo's still had no idea what was causing her illness. Upon hearing this, Albus responded with indignation, but soon recovered with a few words of reassurance from his friend.

"Are you saying that I won't see you again until after the new year?", cried Albus.

"Of course not, don't be silly!", said Scorpius. "I never said that you couldn't come visit me".

"Oh. Right", Albus replied.

Suddenly, he realized how insensitive his original reply had sounded. Sheepishly, he looked down at his feet, and said, "And I suppose that even if you did say I couldn't come visit you, I would understand. Your mother is ill, and she is much more important than me. I was being selfish".

"Oh, Albus, don't say that", said Scorpius hurriedly. "You're not selfish at all. And anyway, I couldn't imagine the holidays without you, regardless of where we spend them".

Finally, Albus looked up at his friend, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"You'd miss me too, then?", he said teasingly, poking Scorpius in the stomach.

Scorpius noticed the underlying vulnerability in his voice, however, and pulled him in for a hug.

"Naturally", he said softly, burying his face in Albus's neck.

In response, Albus gave a contented sigh and hugged Scorpius back. He knew that Scorpius wouldn't lie to him, even though he sometimes had trouble understanding how he could be telling the truth...

SSS

When the time finally came for Albus to visit Scorpius, he was absolutely ecstatic. Christmas had just passed, and he couldn't wait to hear what Scorpius thought of his presents from Albus: a traditional Weasley jumper made by his Grandma Molly and an enchanted model of a Common Welsh dragon- it was basically a tiny and harmless version of the real thing. He practically jumped into Scorpius's arms as soon as he tumbled out of the fireplace in the Malfoys' living room, the other boy greeting him with equal enthusiasm. He greeted Draco and Astoria after a few more moments of hugging, making sure to ask how Astoria was doing as far as her health was concerned. She seemed gratified at his obvious concern, and reassured him that she would be fine.

"What a kind young man you are", she smiled down at Albus.

The twinkle in her eyes as she watched him and her son leave the room was from the utmost happiness, for she knew that Scorpius would be in good hands as long as he was with Albus. If I am to leave this earth as soon as I fear, she thought, at least I know that Scorpius already has someone who loves him more than he can possibly imagine.

=(-)=

Albus and Scorpius spent the next few days alternating between staying in the house and going outside, between playing in the snow and quietly talking by the fire, and just thoroughly enjoying themselves in general. Their joy was infectious, and soon Draco and Astoria found themselves worrying less about Astoria's health, and simply enjoying the holidays with their son and his best friend.

Before they knew it, New Year's Eve had come. It was eleven o'clock at night, and the Malfoys, joined by Albus, were preparing to ring in the new year. Draco was pouring champagne into two glasses for himself and Astoria, who was watching Albus and Scorpius fondly. The two boys were compiling a list of New Year's resolutions that neither of them really expected to follow.

"Write it down, Scorpie!", giggled Albus, jostling his friend's shoulder.

"But it's ridiculous", whined Scorpius.

He began to write. "I...will...wear...mismatched... socks... every... Tuesday. Why, Albus?"

He looked up from the parchment with a dry, serious expression on his face. As soon as he locked eyes with Albus, the facade of exasperation vanished, and both boys began to laugh.

Just as they began to return to their senses, they heard a shout from Draco.

"Astoria!"

Albus and Scorpius looked up from their spot by the fireplace, every trace of laughter gone from their faces. Astoria was slumped over in her seat, seemingly unconscious. Scorpius quickly stood up and ran over to his mother, shock and fear etched into every part of his face. Albus followed suit, looking almost as worried as his friend.

"Mum?", asked Scorpius, giving her shoulder a litter shake. "Mum, can you hear me?".

"We have to get her to St. Mungo's immediately", said Draco, his voice full of suppressed fear. "Albus, I think you should return to your family now", he addressed Albus, not unkindly.

Instinctively, Albus reached over and grabbed Scorpius's hand.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'd like to stay with Scorpius, if you'll let me", he replied. "I can't just leave him".

"Er... I'm not sure that's a good idea", said Draco.

He looked down at Albus, and his resolve crumbled. The striking green eyes were consumed by a fiery determination, and Draco knew that there would be no reasoning with him. Even he could tell how much this boy cared for his son, and he knew that the feeling was mutual from the way Scorpius moved closer to Albus, as though trying to meld their bodies together. He figured that there was no point in arguing, not when Astoria was in danger.

"All right, then, do as you wish", he said, albeit a little resigned.

With that, he conjured up a stretcher and placed Astoria on it, and prepared to leave for St. Mungo's.

=(-)=

There was a somber feeling in the air as Draco, Scorpius, and Albus sat down around Astoria's bed in the closed ward. Draco reached forward and took his unconscious wife's hand with a pained look on his face. On the other side of the bed, Albus and Scorpius sat close together, whispering and (on Scorpius's part) crying.

"Is she going to die, Albus?", asked Scorpius tearfully. "I think she's going to die. My dear mother... I love her so much, and now she's going to leave me forever-"

"She's not going to die, Scorpie", Albus said softly.

He pulled Scorpius closer and wrapped his arms around him, whispering reassuring things in his ear and squeezing him tightly. In response, Scorpius rested his head on Albus's shoulder, still crying.

"Shh, it's okay, she's going to be fine, everything's going to be alright", Albus kept repeating quietly, over and over again.

"But the healers said that she's in a coma", sobbed Scorpius. "People don't usually wake up from comas, Albus, especially not inexplicable ones".

Draco listened to his son's words and tried not to weep. Not only would his beloved wife be leaving him, she would also be leaving Scorpius. This can't be happening, he thought. But even as that thought crossed his mind, he felt Astoria's pulse slow down. Her chest, which had previously been rising and falling steadily, ceased its movements. Draco jumped up from his seat, voice catching in his throats as he tried to shout for help. All that came out was a desperate sob, and he heard a vague, faraway cry from Scorpius as he felt the life begin to drain from the woman he loved...

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a healer ran into the room, shouting incoherently. Two others followed him, wands out, carrying baskets full of potions. Draco watched, open-mouthed, as they performed some of the fastest spellwork he'd ever seen, mixing potions and pouring them down Astoria's throat. When they finally moved away from her, Draco could see that her breathing rate had gone back to normal. Just like that, the world came back into focus, and he started asking questions.

"What just happened? What did you do? Is she okay?".

The healer who'd originally burst into the room explained that they'd finally figured out what was wrong with Astoria, and knew that they needed to take action immediately.

On the other side of the bed, Scorpius lifted his head from Albus's shoulder and shouted, "DOES THIS MEAN SHE'S NOT GOING TO DIE?".

The healer turned to Scorpius and and gave him a kind smile. "Yes, it does mean that she's not going to die. In fact, she will probably wake up in a few hours".

Scorpius let his head drop back onto Albus's shoulder, sobbing with relief. Albus replied with a joyful laugh and gave his friend a spontaneous kiss on the cheek. Scorpius smiled widely, his face turning bright red.

Everything seemed to have fallen back into place so quickly, it was overwhelming. Scorpius felt relief beyond relief, but there was an underlying feeling of nervousness that could only be explained as an after effect of the severe stress he had just undergone. It was as though he'd just got off a rollercoaster, and suddenly he felt extremely tired (which might have had something to do with the fact that it was past midnight). It's past midnight!, he thought. That means that the new year has begun. And with that thought in his mind, Scorpius nuzzled Albus's neck and whispered,

"Happy New Year, Albie"

Then he promptly fell asleep.

"Happy New Year, Scorpie,"Albus replied, smiling down at his sleeping friend.

And it certainly had gotten off to a chaotic start, hadn't it?


	8. Inevitable Inseperability

The months following his mother's close brush with death were not kind to Scorpius. He constantly worried that she had somehow fallen ill once again, and he began to experience a tightness in his chest, throat, and abdomen every time he imagined her dying. Most nights, he found himself unable to sleep due to the suffocating feeling that plagued him so often. That was where Albus came in. Always the altruist, he stayed up with Scorpius no matter how tired he was. The two of them had taken to sharing a bed so that Scorpius could seek comfort in his best friend without even having to leave his bed.

Unfortunately, Scorpius's reasons for worrying did not end with Astoria's health. He soon became fearful of losing everyone he loved, Albus in particular. This resulted in a certain clinginess on Scorpius's part; if he and Albus had been close before, they were inseparable now.

=(-)=

"Are you sure I'm not annoying you, Albus?".

"You're not, I promise. I can't pretend that following me to the toilet during class is...well...normal, but I can honestly say that it doesn't bother me".

Scorpius gave a reluctant laugh.

=(-)=

And so it continued: Scorpius simultaneously refusing to leave Albus alone for more than two minutes and wondering if he should cease to do so. Until one night, as they were laying in Scorpius's bed, Albus decided to discuss his friend's issue.

"Scorpie?"

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering... Look, don't take this the wrong way-"

"You want me to give you some breathing space or something along those lines?", Scorpius interrupted, his voice resigned.

"Not exactly", said Albus. "I just thought...well...it can't really be healthy for you to be so nervous all the time, can it? I'm just a bit concerned... You can't carry on like this, for your own good-"

"How do you know what's good for me?", Scorpius snapped.

Albus said nothing. There was a moment of silence, in which Scorpius rolled over to look into his friend's eyes. Upon seeing the hurt in them, he put a tentative hand on the side of Albus's face.

"I'm sorry", he whispered.

"S'alright", replied Albus. "I didn't mean to make you angry".

"I'm not angry, not really", said Scorpius. "Just a bit... I dunno..."

"This is why I'm worried about you, Scorpius".

"I suppose you've got a right to be, haven't you?", Scorpius sighed.

"You know what, Scorpius?", said Albus. "I think we've done enough worrying for one night".

He put his arms around Scorpius and closed his eyes. Scorpius, finally feeling at ease, did the same.

SSS

Their second year at Hogwarts was drawing to a close when Scorpius had his first "episode". His traitorous mind had been thinking about what would happen if Albus had somehow died during their final exams, and Albus was nowhere to be seen. The logical part of his brain told him that Albus was probably just finishing up the last few questions of their test, but his breathing was becoming more and more shallow nevertheless. Tears stung his eyes as he fought to take in oxygen; it had suddenly become very difficult to breathe...

Almost as quickly as it had come, the moment of panic was over. Scorpius felt drained, almost tired. He was on the verge of tears. What had just happened to him? Scorpius certainly didn't know...

Just then, Albus walked into the Slytherin common room where Scorpius was sitting. He took one look at Scorpius's face expression and immediately ran over to sit next to his friend.

"Scorpie, what's wrong?", he asked, brow furrowed.

Upon seeing that Albus was indeed alive, Scorpius almost sobbed in immense relief. He leaned into Albus's chest, feeling the sudden and inexplicable urge to be held. Luckily, Albus seemed to sense this, and he wrapped his arms around him. It was then that Scorpius finally spoke.

"Nothing is wrong... Well, not now, anyway".

"What do you mean?"

Scorpius explained what had just happened to him. As he spoke, Albus's frown became more and more pronounced and he held Scorpius tighter.

"Well,", he said, "we know that this definitely has something to do with your tendency to worry about my well-being".

"Right", said Scorpius.

"But... it sounds like this is starting to make you physically ill. That can't be good, obviously. I think we should go to the hospital wing and ask Madam Pomfrey if she knows anything about whatever it is that just happened to you".

"It's not really related to my health, though, is it?"

"I think we should do it anyway. You need help, Scorpius".

And with that, Albus disentangled himself from Scorpius and took his hand, pulling him towards the common room's exit.

=(-)=

As it turned out, Madam Pomfrey had seen students like Scorpius before. She told him that what he was experiencing was called anxiety. According to her, some witches and wizards developed anxiety after a certain experience (like Scorpius), but the tendency to get anxious was something with which they were born.

"Here, take this Calming Draught", she said, handing Scorpius a vial full of the potion. "It should make you feel better right away".

Scorpius drank, and immediately felt less jittery. Madame Pomfrey handed him a few more vials of the Calming Draught, telling him to take one whenever he felt it was necessary, but no more than once per day. Then she turned to Albus, who'd been watching Scorpius intently.

"You're a very good friend, Mr. Potter", she said. "Not many young witches and wizards your age would accompany their friends to the hospital wing on an occasion such as this. Most would not even consider anxiety to be a real problem, unfortunately".

"It was his idea to come here, actually", Scorpius remarked sagely.

Albus blushed.

"I...er...yeah", he said.

"How eloquent of you, Albie", Scorpius teased.

Albus's face became even redder.

Madame Pomfrey retreated to her office, chuckling to herself with a knowing look in her eyes. This left the two boys to walk out of the hospital wing together. Albus's face remained as red as a tomato.

As she watched them leave, Madam Pomfrey smiled knowingly to herself.

 _These boys are certainly inseparable,_ she thought. _I'm sure they will remain that way for the rest of their lives._


	9. Unexpected Emotions

Soon, it was time for Albus and Scorpius to return home for the summer holidays. Just as they had done the previous year, the two young wizards spent a fair amount of time together during their break from school. It was during this time that Albus began to notice a change in his feelings towards Scorpius. Up until now, he had taken most of the casual touches between them for granted. Things had become a bit different; he was now hyperaware of every brush of Scorpius's skin on his. These newfound feelings were starting to scare him slightly, but something told him that this time, he couldn't confide in Scorpius as he usually would when faced with any problem. He decided to try and ignore it, pretending that things between him and his best friend were just the same as they'd always been.

Fortunately for Albus, Scorpius didn't seem to notice any sort of change in his friend. This, perhaps, had to do with the fact that he was beginning to deal with a similar change in emotions...

=(-)=

"See you on September the first", said Scorpius, giving Albus a big hug.

"I'll be counting the days", whispered Albus, his face turning bright red at the sudden embrace.

As he watched Scorpius sprinkle Floo Powder into the fireplace and then step in himself, Albus felt a strange mix of emptiness and relief. A part of him wanted to follow his friend through the fire, but there was also another, smaller part of him that was almost glad to see him go. The underlying tension that had been present since Scorpius had come to visit was dissipating, replaced by a sense of loneliness. This was both good and bad; Albus couldn't decide which overpowered the other. He resolved to push all thoughts of Scorpius from his mind and focus on the pile of homework that he still had yet to finish.

SSS

September arrived much more quickly than Scorpius had anticipated. As always, he was very excited to see Albus again. This time, however, the excitement was mixed with a sort of anxiety, somehow different from the anxiety with which he had become familiar. He still had anxiety attacks every so often, as well as a general nervous feeling that he carried with him more often than not. This was not the same; it felt like excitement paired with dread. Scorpius pondered his strange pattern of emotions on his way to the King's Cross train station, but was unable to think of a logical way to explain them, except for...

Oh, no.

=(-)=

Scorpius scanned the platform 9 3/4, looking for Albus. Just as he caught sight of Mrs. Potter, a pair of familiar hands came from behind and covered his eyes. A voice could be heard, saying quietly in his ear,

"Guess who?".

"Hmm, I wonder", Scorpius smirked. "It couldn't be... Albus Severus Potter?"

"The very same".

The hands removed themselves from Scorpius's face, and he was met with a pair of bright green eyes, sparkling with happiness. Albus's cheeks reddened as he leaned forward to pull Scorpius into a tight hug. His face was rarely it's natural colour around Scorpius anymore (not that Scorpius had noticed- the poor boy was completely oblivious to his friend's change in feelings towards him).

Scorpius felt his own face heat up as they broke apart, but he acted the same as he always did with Albus.

"Ready to get on the train, then?", he asked.

Albus responded by linking his arm through Scorpius's and practically dragging the other boy towards the Hogwarts Express.

=(-)=

Albus and Scorpius's third year at Hogwarts had gotten off to a fairly good start. It was Lily's first year, and she was sorted into Hufflepuff, much to Albus's disbelief.

"I don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this!", he said to Scorpius as they watched her hop off the stool and make her way over to the Hufflepuff table.

Nevertheless, he cheered for her as loudly as possible, along with the rest of their family members.

"She'll be a good student, I think", said Scorpius, almost to himself.

He smiled fondly at Albus, who was still enthusiastically applauding his sister.

From the Hufflepuff table, Lily saw the way Scorpius was looking at her brother. Wise and observant beyond her eleven years, she knew exactly what was going on. She only hoped that her idiot brother would notice the same things that she did. Watching the way Albus pressed closer to Scorpius on their bench at the Slytherin, she wondered if he already had...

SSS

Soon, the last of summer's lingering warmth dissipated, replaced with frigid gusts and chillier air. Early one particularly cold morning in late October, Scorpius Malfoy could be found in the Slytherin common room. He was trying to wrap the gift he planned to give Albus for his birthday. Unfortunately, it was relatively difficult to wrap a potted plant. After a few more fruitless attempts at magically wrapping Albus's present, Scorpius decided not to bother with wrapping paper. No longer preoccupied, he started to get a bit antsy. It was so tempting to rush back into the dormitory and shake Albus awake, but Scorpius didn't think he'd be too happy to wake up at 6:24 A.M. on a Saturday.

=(-)=

Finally, Scorpius decided that he'd waited long enough- he was going back to the dormitory. Stomach fluttering, he walked up the stairs and through the door. He hid Albus's present behind his back as he made his way over to said boy's bed. Leaning over his Albus's sleeping form, he brought his face close to his friend's and whispered,

"Happy Birthday, Albie".

Albus opened his eyes lazily, peering blearily up at Scorpius. He gave a leisurely grin and reached up to wrap Scorpius in a one-armed hug, free of any inhibitions in his still-half-asleep state.

"And happy it shall be", he murmured. "As long as it involves you".

Scorpius turned pink at these words, and Albus, realising what he'd just said, hastily removed his arm and blushed crimson.

"I- er, I only meant...", he stuttered and trailed off.

Scorpius giggled, his heart leaping with a sudden jubilation.

A happy birthday, indeed.


	10. An Intense Intertwinement

As Albus and Scorpius continued with their classes, they found themselves having to work through piles of homework that seemed to be ever-growing and increasing in difficulty. Scorpius took this new development in stride, for he could not bear the underlying stress of procrastination. Albus, on the other hand, was perfectly content just sitting by the fireplace in the Slytherin common room and watching Scorpius suffer through his History of Magic essay. That is, until Scorpius looked over his shoulder and saw that Albus had abandoned his own essay in favour of watching his friend write.

"Albuuuuusss", he whined, "could you at least _pretend_ to do your work?"

Albus gave a laugh and picked up his quill once again.

"Alright, alright, I'll start writing- for real this time...".

"You'd better be telling the truth, or I'll have to _make_ you write this essay...", said Scorpius, lowering his voice and leaning closer to Albus with a wicked gleam in his eye,

Albus felt his stomach flutter, and he leaned down over his parchment, so that his reddening face went unnoticed by Scorpius.

SSS

As time went on, Albus began to find it more and more difficult to hide his more-than-just-friendly feelings towards Scorpius, but he was still unable to identify just what said feelings actually meant. Scorpius, on the other hand, had figured out that what he felt towards his best friend was definitely romantic. He did not, however, have any idea what to do about it. He was terrified that Albus wouldn't return his feelings, so he figured that his best bet was trying to get rid of them. Unfortunately, this was proving to be impossible. After all, there was no one else he could turn to when he was having an anxiety attack, nor anyone whose arms felt quite so warm and secure around him. There was also not a single other person with whom Scorpius would rather spend his time. So how exactly could he solve his predicament?

=(-)=

 _This was a stupid idea_ , Scorpius mentally berated himself as he walked towards the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. It was lunchtime, and Albus had needed to stay behind in Transfiguration to ask the teacher a question. He'd insisted that Scorpius meet him in the Great Hall instead of waiting, which gave Scorpius the perfect opportunity to carry out his plan.

Finally, he came across the person for whom he'd been looking. Lily Luna Potter was sat at the end of her House's table with a couple of other first years. Suddenly, Scorpius felt rather foolish for coming to someone two years his junior for advice, but he pressed on.

"Lily?", he asked.

Upon hearing her name, the youngest Potter sibling turned around.

"Oh, hello, Scorpius", she said brightly. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"I...er...came to ask you a question...about Albus. But you have to promise not to say anything to him about-"

"About the fact that you're hopelessly in love with him?" Lily interrupted.

"What the- but- how did you...?" Scorpius spluttered, his face becoming paler.

"I hate to break this to you, but it's pretty obvious", she said matter-of-factly. "Luckily for you", she continued, "my brother is about the only person who hasn't noticed".

Scorpius let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Although, on second thought, I don't see how that's lucky, really. Albus feels the same way about you, see, and I think you'd do the world a favour if the two of you weren't so stupid- er, no offence..." Lily trailed off.

She had spotted her brother entering the Great Hall.

"Well Scorpius, it's been nice talking to you, but the object of your affections will be looking for you if you don't go over to him right about now".

Lily pointed towards Albus, who looked over at his sister and waved.

"Go on, now", said Lily, giving Scorpius a little push.

With that, she promptly turned back around, leaving a bewildered Scorpius to stumble back to the Slytherin table.

As Scorpius walked towards Albus, he pondered the things that Lily had said. He couldn't believe that she'd been able to see through him so easily... But there was one thing she must have been wrong about: there was no way that Albus could possibly feel the same way about him! Feeling more lost than before, he sat down next to Albus and tried to pretend like everything was normal. Unfortunately for Scorpius, that didn't work out very well.

"Are you okay, Scorpie?" asked Albus, concerned. "You're looking a bit pale".

"Yeah, I'm alright", Scorpius replied distractedly. "Just thinking".

"What about?"

"Just...you know...random things".

Something didn't feel right to Albus. He turned back to his lunch in silence, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

=(-)=

That evening, things had just about gone back to normal. Albus and Scorpius were alone in their corner of the Slytherin common room, doing (or avoiding, in Albus's case) their homework.

"Come _on_ , Albus", said Scorpius. "That Charms essay isn't going to write itself!"

Albus just sighed and rolled over on the rug, upon which he was lying. He looked at the back of Scorpius's head with a mischievous look in his eye.

"Albus...", warned Scorpius. "Pick up your quill, now...".

Finally, Albus sat up. He leaned over to Scorpius, looking straight into the other boy's eyes. Smirking, he said in a low voice,

" _Make me"_.

As he dropped his quill, Scorpius's stern look turned into a catlike smile, and he tackled Albus to the ground.

The two boys wrestled for a few moments, until Scorpius finally pinned Albus to the floor. He looked down at his friend's face, who was looking straight back at him with an unreadable _something_ in his eyes. Unconsciously, Scorpius loosened his grip on the over boy's wrists, his face slowly moving downwards. This gave Albus the perfect opportunity to bring his arms up and put them around Scorpius's neck. Before he could even process what he was actually doing, he pulled Scorpius down and pressed their lips together. It felt like the best, most natural thing in the world. _And Scorpius was kissing him back_.

Needless to say, the homework was left forgotten that night.


End file.
